Water 4.0? Cybersecurity Exposure of the Digital Water Utility Infrastructure

Abstract

Digitalization reaches all areas of business. Therefore, it is just a matter of time when the less developed areas, like water utilities, reach the Western-European level of technology. This paper analyses the possible areas of digitalization from chlorine addition to smart meters. Afterwards, cybersecurity issues are correlated with these new services. These processes have already taken place in the field of electricity supply: the rules on critical infrastructure, the technologies introduced (e.g., smart meters), the incidents arising from the risks, and the scientific research initiated as a result. These are all projections for the future of the water utility sector, which should be shaped proactively based on good examples.